


Why Peter Parker never wants to hear the word Tonsillitis again

by callmebacktony



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Don't Judge, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Just another sickfic, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmebacktony/pseuds/callmebacktony
Summary: “It hurts,” Peter whispers as he lets his head drop a little from the lack of energy.Tony is still stroking the teenagers hair, while soothing, encouraging words leave his lips.“I know Pete. I know. It will all be over soon."___________Peter gets tonsillitis and Bruce inform to both Peter and Tony’s horror that he needs them removed.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 216





	Why Peter Parker never wants to hear the word Tonsillitis again

**Author's Note:**

> hii hope you all are well and find some comfort during these difficult and unknown times. x

Peter woke up with a familiar feeling that seemed to spread throughout his whole body, although the source was obvious. It felt like his throat was on fire.

“Not again,” he murmured to himself, instantly regretting the sentence as soon as he felt the painful consequences.

During the past months or so Peter had unfortunately experienced too long and too painful periods of battling tonsillitis— an illness both Tony and him only thought younger children could get.

Apparently not.

A low groan left his chest as he rolled over to his side, hoping that a new position under his heavy duvet would ease the pressure he felt in his pounding head.

The symptoms usually followed a pattern; the sore throat was the first one to make an appearance, and also the last one to leave. The last time Peter was sick, the too high fever followed closely behind.

But this time—the teenager could not tell if it was a fever who made him shiver violently, or if it was the fact he accidentally told FRIDAY to put on the air conditioning last evening because he was too warm.

He came to the conclusion that it might have been both.

“Peter, your vitals tells me that you have been awake for awhile now. It’s only 02.45 in the morning, may I provide you anything?” The robotic, familiar voice suddenly reached Peters ears.

The sudden wave of sound made him wince a little where he lied with his arms around his legs in a comfortable position.

“N—no th’nks,” he managed to croak out, praying that he did not have to repeat himself in order for FRIDAY to hear him. Fortunately for him he did not have to.

“Your temperature is currently at 102.4 degrees Peter, and it has been rising since you went to bed. Should I alert the boss?”

The room that surrounded his small frame instantly felt like a hot summer afternoon, but the shivers did not stop no matter how much Peter tried to control the shakiness.

“No th’nks,” usually the kid was a lot better at forming more complex sentences than a well spoken four year old, but whenever he even tried to take a breath, the sudden inhale of air made his throat scream in pain.

The room went quiet again. Peters eyes flew towards the Star-wars clock on his bedside table, but it seemed like the minutes past by too slowly.

After about fifteen minutes off desperate attempts to fall asleep to forget the pain, and tossing and turning, Peter finally decided that the living room area would perhaps be more comfortable—and not as hot as his own room that Tony made for him along time ago when he first started to sleep over every other weekend at the tower.

With small and careful steps, Peter tossed his blankets over his body as he made his way over the floor towards the door that lead out to the stairs. He tried his best not to let out a whimper of pain from his burning throat, but failed miserably.

“Ouch—“

He bit his lip as he shuffled down the stairs, fighting the urge to close his eyes but knowing too well that it would not lead to anything else other than a concussion.

When he finally arrived to the living room, the big couches had never in Peters life seemed so comfortable. Without thinking twice he reached out for a pillow before taking an upright position.

He knew that lying down would just make everything worse, every ache more recognisable.

He thought that he had been so careful when he made his way downstairs, but suddenly the lights went on upstairs and he could hear a distant voice.

“Friday—did I wake T’ny?” His hoarse voice managed to say as his tired eyes closed for the second time.

Ugh why do I always have to be such a burden? he thought as he waited for the answer that he thought he knew the answer to.

“No Peter I did. Tony always made sure that the Baby Monitor protocol is carefully followed through— and I had no choice but to let him know your status,” Fridays voice echoed in the almost empty tower.

A sigh escaped him again, which did not help the spinning of the room around him at all.

“Kid?” Tony voice suddenly reached Peter, but he didn't have the energy to even lift his gaze

A small sound came out of the kid as he tried to signal to his mentor where he was.

The engineers eyes instantly found his kid, with his back resting against the pillows, his chocolate curls still wild from the (what Tony was guessing) just the few hours of sleep he actually got.

“Pete, kid what happened? Are you hurt?” The words came out of him almost as a reflex when he saw the pale face and exhausted expression that had replaced the usually bright, playful and witty grin Peter always had.

To his surprise he did not get an answer, only a small shaking gesture.

The older man instantly reached towards where the boy was sitting, placing his hand on the small of his back, tracing small circles with his hand as an attempt to let the kid know that he was right beside him.

“How are you feeling Pete?”

Peter opened his brown eyes a bit hesitantly, like if he did not know if the dim light were too light or not.

“G’d”

Tony instantly cringed at the unexpected, hoarse voice that belonged to the kid.

“Does your throat hurt again?” he asked with a soothing voice as the palm of his hand found the teenagers burning forehead.

He nodded again as Peter moved his head towards his mentor, and Tony welcomed him by letting his head fall against his chest. Although he was no doctor like Bruce was, he was still pretty sure that the diagnosis he thought about in his head was accurate, since this situation had become familiar.

Just a few weeks prior, Bruce diagnosed Peter based on the painful and annoying symptoms that refused to disappear as Tonsillitis, for the third time. Both him and May and Bruce’s agreed to the treatment plan and monitored his symptoms carefully, just to prevent it to reoccur.

“If it comes back again we need to remove them Tony. His immune system has taken quite a beating,” Tony remember Bruce’s nerve wracking words in MedBay a month ago.

“Well you are definitely burning up Underoos, FRIDAY what’s his temp?”

“It has now reached 103,1 degrees. I recommend some fever reducing medication that Bruce left for him. It does not appear to go down naturally.”

Tony swore under his hearth as Peter stirred against him a little.

“D’ you think it has come back?” Peter sighed as he struggled to make sense of his words that his throat did not allow him to say.

The genius hand instantly found the teenagers curls, carefully trying to calm him down by the gentle action.

“I don’t know buddy, but that’s likely—“

“M’ sorry,” Peter whimpered.

Tony would normally roll his eyes at the comment, since Peter had made it a bit of a habit to apologise for something that was clearly not his fault or under his control. But seeing Peter in this state, thinking that he got something to apologise for broke Tonys already unstable heart. The love for the kid overwhelmed him from time to time.

“Hey, don’t apologise kid. This is not under your control at all. I will need to arrange some calls, and give you something that will help for the fever.

Peter nods again, but still keeps his grip steady around Tony’s arm to signal that he still needs him. 

“It hurts,” Peter whispers as he lets his head drop a little from the lack of energy.

Tony is still stroking the teenagers hair, while soothing, encouraging words leave his lips.

“I know Pete. I know. It will all be over soon.”

“Just d’nt go please,” he muttered under his breath.

Tony could not help but smile at the scene in front of him. Sometimes he just forgot how adorable the kid was (even if the kid did not like it when Tony brought it up.)

“But I though the pain meds were your best friend. Or at least that’s what you told me that the last time they made you high.”

Peter hummed a little, and to Tony’s relief he could see the corner of his mouth turn upwards into the tiniest smile—but still it was there.

“N’ver trust me when m high on pain meds ‘Ony.”

_________  
Tony did not know how Peter managed, but after awhile Petes eyes finally closed shut, followed by the soft snoring sound that he had missed so much after the countless of sleepless nights. His tight grip around his mentor loosened a bit, enough for Tony to gently slip out to get some water, pain meds from the lab and more pillows to make the kid more comfortable. The aching anxiety wanted to call Bruce—heck it wanted to call anyone who was capable of helping his kid but his common sense realised that it probably would be best if he waited until the sun decided to rise up on New York’s autumn sky.

Just when he started to walk across the wooden floor towards Peters sleeping body, the kid started to stir a little. Tony could feel himself frown with worry—because he had hoped that Peters fever could at least wait a few moment until it needed to regain control over his body.

“No—get away! D’nt hurt him,” his voice was nearly above a whisper, but Tony was convinced that if his voice had let him it would have come out as a heart wrenching scream.

Without thinking the mentor put down the glass and tablets on the coffee table before rushing to his side. He did not dare waking him, because he knew how much he needed the few extra minutes of sleep.

”Please just—take me instead.”

Tony couldn’t help himself but to put his hand on Peter back because he needed him to know that he was right beside him. And that would never change.

“Easy kid. You’re alright. I’m here,” Tony murmured with a low voice. Peters jerking movements calmed down a little, still whimpering a little under his breath as he struggled to wake up from his deep fever slumber.

Tony knew how bad Peters nightmares were, he had witnessed almost every single one of them. And those he did not see he got to hear about from May. It was hard for both of them, because seeing the person you care about the most in pain could be compared to torture.

“FRIDAY what’s the kids temp?”

Tony wasn’t too sure if he wanted to hear the answer, too afraid it will show the absolute worst.

“103,4 degrees boss. I recommend that you give him the medicine you prepared sir.”

That was all he needed to hear. He couldn’t avoid the obvious signs that was right in front of him. He knew that 103 wasn’t life threatening, but the fact that it has risen a whole degree in less than an hour did not calm his nerves at all.

“Rise and shine Peter—you need to wake up buddy.”

It didn’t take much effort form his side to see the boys eyes open since his throat didn’t let him sleep heavily like he used to.

“T’ny? Wha—what happen’?”

It was still a mystery how Peter was able to form a sentence since Tony had never heard anything like it before.

“It seemed like another of those fun fever dream you always used to experience. Unfortunately that means that we need to get Bruce here right now.”

“Wait—m not worse right?”

“Unfortunately.

A heart wrenching sigh left the teenagers chest as he gave his mentor a sad gaze that was soon interrupted by a sudden cough.

Tony frowned— not bothering to hide the concern that was showing on his face.

“Coughing isn’t usually a symptom, anything else that bothers you Pete?” He said as he carefully lifting the glass of water before moving it towards the kids mouth. Too tired to complain or explain that he was in fact capable of drinking on his own, Peter only whimpered again before moving his lips to the glass that was held by Tony.

“No, just been coughing lately.”  
“Bruce will probably be here any minute now, why don’t you try to sleep some more before the team arrives huh?” Without thinking Peter reached out for his mentor and Tony didn’t protest. The cough sank down a little from the additional weight and before Tony got the chance to react the kids head was placed against his shoulder, carefully shutting his eyes as he desperately tried to make the breathing less painful. “It’s okay kid—just sleep and you will be better before you knows it.” Peter managed to sleep soundly for a few minutes before Bruce bursted in through the door after FRIDAY had let them in without questions. Tony instantly signalled that Peter was still asleep beside him, and Bruce got the hint instantly. The two men moved over to the MedBay— a place where they had both spent too many hours at for their liking. “It seemed like everything was fine and that it wouldn’t return in the near future— I dont know what went wrong,” Tony sighed, his gaze wandering between Peters sleeping frame in the living room and Bruce in front of him. “Yeah his recovery seemed like a textbook example. But you know— we never know. Do you remember what I suggested the last time Peter had Tonsillitis?” Bruce asked with a low voice, hoping that Peter wouldn’t be able to hear with his super heightened senses. Tony nodded slowly, trying to swallow the familiar nauseating feeling of worry. “It would probably be the best for Peter if we removed his tonsils as soon as possible. Cho and the rest of the team is available, and in my personal opinion it would work out probably in the next hour or so.” “In the next hour? I thought we were talking about weeks, or at least day or two.” Bruce gave Tony a sympathetic smile. “We could wait, but since Peter has experienced unpleasant side effects after the anaesthetic in the past it would make sense to preform it as soon as possible since the recovery will probably require close monitoring for a longer period of time

Tony’s chest felt heavy by his words, knowing to well that Peters body had a hard time recovering after the appendectomy last fall— and Tony’s promise that everything would be okay didn’t feel as comforting to the man as it once had.

But the kids health always came before Tony’s worries and pounding heart. He was, and always is going to be a priority.

“Okay—I will let Peter know.”

Bruce nodded, giving him another sympathetic smile as his hand fell on Tony’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be fine Tones. I will be there monitoring him during the whole process, and he will probably wake up within a few hours after it has all finished. Don’t worry.”

“Oh you know how impossible it is to not worry about that kid—“ Tony sighed,

The doctor laughed, “I am well aware thanks to his frequent visits.”

X

With heavy steps Tony left MedBay, on his way to where he left the poor kid all by himself.

His heart ached in his chest the minute when his eyes saw Peter, exhausted and drenched in his own sweat, lying with his head in his hands like he always did to block out the nagging pain.

“Hey Pete, hows it going?” He asked, knowing too well what the answer was going to be. For some reason he just hoped for one of the kids famous, reassured lies he always told.

But nothing more came out of his mouth than a hoarse whimper.

“Aw kiddo, I’m sorry you feel like this, but it will all be over soon.”

The older mentors hand instantly found the brown, sweaty curls, running his fingers through it, praying the action will have some calming effect.

“Wha’d Bruce say,” Peter whispered, eyes unfocused and unable to lift them from the ground.

Tony decided the news would probably be easier to deliver if he was closer to the teenager, so without saying anything he leaned down so he could wrap his arm around Peters shoulder.

“Peter, you know what Bruce and I discussed the last time you got this sick? Do you remember a conversation of a possible surgery?”

He didn’t expect Peter to have enough energy left to answer, but to his surprise a little “yeah” filled the living rooms quiet atmosphere. Tony paused for a second, feeling Peters burning forehead with his much colder palm.

“Well Bruce thinks that it would be the best decision for your recovery if we give the surgery a try today.”

Peters eyes instantly flew open, meeting Tony’s brown eyes with a panicked expression. His breaths instantly came out a little uneven and shaky, just like they always did whenever he experienced a nightmare, or prepared for his Spanish presentations.

Soothing words instantly left Tony, wanting nothing more than to cancel it all together. But the thought of Peter experiencing the same thing all over again broke is heart even more.

“Shh Peter, it’s okay. You will feel much better afterwards. You won’t feel a thing, and you will be out of there in no time.”

Peter whimpered again, and Tony wasn’t sure if it was because of the terrifying thought of being cut open or the uncomfortable fever haze. It was probably both.

“Don’ like what it does to me,” Peter said, putting all the effort his body had left to speak up.

“I know the anaesthetic makes your senses go numb, and I can only guess how terrifying that must be. But we need to prioritise your health. I called May before and she agrees that this will benefit you. Both she and I will be here when you wake up. We will never stop looking after you.”

The boys breathing began to even out a little, making the painful feeling that was called anxiety a little bit manageable for Tony.

“Even in the OR?” Peter asked, lifting his eyebrow a little, making the corners of Tony’s lips curl up into a gentle smile.

“Well that’s kind of the only exception. I learned that form last time where the whole team tried to explain to me what a ‘no go zone was.’ But I will be right outside the whole time kid.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

After the conversation everything happened too fast for Tony’s liking. He successfully managed to get Peter up on his feet, helping him by supporting his weight as they made their way over the wooden floor towards where Cho and Bruce waited patiently. Apparently everything was already ready to Tony’s surprise. Without a minute to lose they all helped Peter get in the flexible hospital bed before connecting every monitor and IV he needed. Bruce told Tony to calm down at least five times, almost all of them thanks to all the needles that meet Peters ghost like skin. The kid didn’t seem to bother, too out of it to even notice where he was or who was with him.

Before rolling him off, towards the operating theatre, Tony made sure to grab his hand in a steady grip, leaning towards him only to put a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

“G’night Mr Stark—“ Peter mumbled with his eyes comfortably shut.

“Sleep tight kid. See you on the other side.”

Then he was off. Gone from his secure and comforting touch.

He decided to call May, informing her that he will send Happy to pick her up from the kid and Mays shared apartment and drive all the way to the tower in time for Peter to wake up.

“Thank you for taking care of him. Honestly I wonder what he would ever do without you Tony,” May told him with a genuine voice that only she could do.

Tony could feel his heart warm up at the comment; “No honestly I don’t know what Peter would do without modern medical care. Seriously you raised a kid that is basically our health service best and most frequent visitor.”

He could hear May laugh gently on the other end of the line. “Yes he does test our cardiovascular health at least twice a week.”

“That he does. And that’s why we love him.”


End file.
